How to survive pregnancy when you have a toddler

My first pregnancy wasn’t the easiest in that I spent most of it with my head stuck down the toilet but although my sickness hasn’t lasted as long during my second pregnancy I have found it tough going in other ways. This is mainly because I now have a crazy one year old to run around after while I resemble and have the agility of a baby hippo. While he has noticed that mummy’s tummy has got bigger and likes to poke it he doesn’t seem to have much sympathy for the fact my bump is making everything 100 times harder to do! So changing nappies, getting dressed, getting put into high chair for dinner continues to start off with a game of chase with me huffing and puffing along behind trying to catch him! He has figured out that mummy’s tummy doesn’t fit under the table or behind the settee so these are favourite places to hide and laugh as mummy struggles not to collapse under her own weight! As you can imagine I am just about managing the basics of keeping everyone alive and stopping the house from falling down around us so my top survival tips for pregnancy with a one year old in tow are:

Don’t stress about housework

If u manage the basics you are doing good, besides if your toddler is anything like mine they will come along like a whirlwind behind you undoing all your work! I’m lucky that my hubby is fairly hands on around the house so I have to be thankful for that especially if he is reading this thinking I’m taking too much credit for the household chores!

Try to sleep when your toddler sleeps

This is a precious hour in my day and I’m always torn between doing some work, making a cup of tea to drink in peace or just taking a nap myself. Normally I manage quick tidy up and try to stick my feet up even for half an hour to revive me for the madness that lies ahead once nap time is over!

Accept any help you can

Before baby number 1 I figured I would have plenty of time when I was off on maternity leave to do all sorts around the house but I’m much wiser second time round so if anyone fancies cleaning, ironing or cooking for us you are more than welcome!

Encourage independence

My son is getting to the stage where he can amuse himself for longer periods of time. Unfortunately this normally involves wrecking the entire house and pulling all the cushions off the settee to make himself a den but I love watching him make up his own games in his head and I’m hoping this bodes well for when his baby sibling arrives and he won’t be getting the same one to one attention he has been used to.

Don’t beat yourself up

Don’t allow yourself to get annoyed if you feel standards have slipped a bit around the house or that your toddler is getting a bit extra screen time that you would normally allow, sometimes you just have to do what it takes to get you through the day in one piece! Just remind yourself that you have already produced one little human and are in the process of bringing another one into the world so at the end of the day as long as everyone is happy and healthy that is all that matters!

I’ve got large age gaps between my kids so never had to deal with this. However, my 8yo daughter started to become more needy the further it went on and now with a 9mo baby she plays up a lot to get attention. It’s driving me mad!

That picture pretty much sums up life with a toddler doesn’t it! I always struggled with accepting help through all three of my pregnancies, I still do now! But, it’s so important to let people help you out, if they offer then they want to do things for you.

So true!! Your tips are perfect. Pregnancy is hard going and finding the energy to do anything is hard enough! There are 2 years between my first two and that was hard enough. I left a big gap between my 2nd and 3rd (6years) it was still hard going managing both the kids when pregnant but they are such fantastic helpers now my daughter is born xxx

I remember my toddler deciding to ride her sit-on cow suitcase down the stairs while I was taking a rest …10 years on and I still hear every bump as she came tumbling down. But – at the bottom she stood up and ran off into the next room!

I’m also pregnant with my second. Although my firstborn son is in his preschool age already, I still feel you, mummy! I agree with you on not stressing too much on the housework. Just do things one at a time and take every opportunity to rest. ❤

I can imagine how hard is to manage a pregnancy with a toddler… also because your pregnancy is actually hard to manage for them too, sweet little kids. They hardly understand what’s happening and finding a good way to share and communicate each others’ emotions and feeling is the challenge

Oh god I’m glad my girl was 2 haha it’s funny how different they can be in just the space of a year but she was much more understanding and helped around the house. I couldn’t imagine it if she were younger so kudos to you!

I am so glad I read this. I have a good friend of mine who is having her second child and she also have a one soon-to-be two year old. It has been a difficult time for both her and her partner. I will share these tips and this post with her. Congrats on your family and for being so transparent and a great source for pregnant women!

I am so glad I read this. I have a good friend of mine who is having her second child and she also have a one soon-to-be two year old. It has been a difficult time for both her and her partner. I will share these tips and this post with her. Congrats on your family and for being so transparent and a great source for pregnant women!